Injuries and Emergency Evacuations in Area From Florida Gas Refilling Plant Explosion

Eight workers were injured and approximately 50 nearby homes evacuated when propane gas tanks exploded at a Central Florida refilling plant last night. Filled tank cylinders exploded causing the trucks holding them to catch fire at the Blue Rhino plant in Taveras, Fla, according to an article on CNN.com. The Blue Rhino facility refills propane tanks used for gas grills and the facility housed 53,000 20-pound filled cylinders of propane at the time of the explosion.

A one-half mile evacuation area around the plant was immediately set up by firefighters at the time of the incident. The closest homes about three-quarters of a mile away from the plant were then ordered to evacuate. Firefighters contained the blaze in approximately three hours by dousing the facility with water and the overnight evacuation order was lifted earlier today.